Since Then

A grip friend of mine got me on a Hallmark feature for a few days as a PA. A great experience because I got paid and met some great people, some I've been able to hangout with outside of work.

During that time my car died. I don't want to get into it but... I was to blame and it cost us $1800. Had to get a new engine, but chose to get a new clutch and water pump while they had it opened up. Also, finally had them charge the AC! Awesome. Too bad it's been cold here.

My friend Paul Parkinson came to visit for a few days. That was awesome! Bad part was I couldn't take him for a ride in my car. Loved having him. We went hiking and saw lots of native wildlife in Malibu: Deer, ground squirrels, snakes, crayfish, lots and lots of sea anemonies and starfish... and Matthew McConaughey.

This past week I worked for Danielle's company, shooting an interview and made some money. I was even able to pay a friend to help. Making money is always nice, but not always the case.

Soon I'll be working on another feature, but this time I won't be getting money. Should be a great opportunity however.

Me = Gaffer

This last Saturday I filled in for a friend who was gaffing a short for a director who flew in from Paris to shoot. We only used one light for one scene but still, I was the gaffer. A majority of the time we used screens and bounce boards. The short was shot on the RED camera and this was my first experience with it, beautiful! Check out these two stills from the day.

Jamin Round the World

Playing For Change | Song Around The World "Stand By Me" from Concord Music Group on Vimeo.

And some others:
One Love
Don't Worry

http://www.playingforchange.com

Insurance Commercial

I worked 5 full days Thursday(7am-4pm), Friday(6am-2pm), Monday(6am-4pm), Tuesday(10am-11pm), and Wednesday(2pm-12pm) on a commercial for an insurance company... didn't get paid a cent and I'm glad.

Locations: Thursday(Abandoned Hotel), Friday(Sound Stage), Monday(Pool and Outside a Church), Tuesday(store fronts in eagle rock, Park and Gym), Wednesday(Dinner, Apt complex, and closed down two streets for car crash.)

The first day I showed up on set was a quick learning experience. I knew what time I was supposed to get there and where I was supposed to park... but after that I just had to guess and play it confident in order to walk on to set. Luckily, I saw a bunch of trucks and the Loader getting some gear ready in the back of one as I walked up. From that point on I stuck mostly with the Loader.

My contact, the 1st AC, was almost always with the DP, where all the action was, so I did my best to stay out of the way and decided that I'd learn how to be a loader. That turned out to be a great decision, the loader was supper helpful and had time to teach me things. He put me to work right away on preparing labels for the film.

For each film stock used during the production we used a different color of tape to label, first the unused canister, then the loaded mag, and finally the exposed film to be processed. The loader put me to work creating the labels that would travel with the film through the whole process. This is exactly what I wanted to know how to do.

Below is an example of what I wrote out (but spread out a little more):

400' "State Farm" M# | R#
8573-316-116-005-12 |
3/31/09 BISCUIT LI |

Film length; Production Name; Mag #; Roll#
Stock# - specific # for each film roll
Date; Production Company; Loader's Initials

We had several film mags and each one was numbered. Once film was loaded into a mag the loader would remove the label from the film canister and stick it on the the mag and write the mag# on the label under M#. This was so that if during processing something was found wrong with the film, like a scratch, we would know what mag may have caused it and could replace it.

The Roll # was written on the label right after or before being loaded on to the camera, the roll number keeps track of what number load is in use. A1, A2, A3, A4... these roll numbers continue til the end of the production. "A" is for camera A... if there were two cameras it might go A1, B2, A3, A4, B5...

It was a good day with incredible food!!!! Breakfast and Lunch were served out of a catering truck and it was really good! If it had been at a restaurant the entree would have probably cost $30. Good tasting.

I learned tons more details like the labeling above but instead of boring you... more, I'll list some highlights.

• Learned how and loaded a good number of dummy rolls in the dark room.
• Worked with HydroFlex gear and tech, which allows the camera to go underwater.
• Helped to create a Film Inventory spreadsheet which saves a lot of time
• Prepped the camera and the camera carts one morning by myself
• Closed down an intersection in front of the Clean House HQ to stage a night crash scene! Awesome
• Made friends
• Gave my contact info to the Production Manager to PA
• Ate lots of really really good food.

Preping Film Equipment for a Commerical

Earlier this year Danielle's boss and her husband invited us to dinner, at the dinner they introduced us to their friend who, among other things, AC's on commercials. Their friend was very gracious and when he found out that I wanted to learn film production offered to help. After sometime and a few calls he invited me out to prep* for a production.

At that prep I met both his 2nd** and his Loader***, I also got more acquainted with the Arri LT film camera and was shown how to load a film mag. Awesome experience! Ten times better than going to school. At the prep he asked if I wanted to come on set one of the days that week... this is what I really wanted and hoped he would ask, but it didn't work out.

Next time we talked he invited me to prep for another commercial the next week. "Of course," I said. At that prep I became even more familiar with the gear and how to prep. Again he invited me to set, and this time I was not going to let anything stop me from going...



*Prep - going to the rental house where you are getting your equipment for the production and laying it all out and putting it all together to make sure everything works and that you have everything you need/ordered. (Later I found out that only the AC gets paid on prep day, and the 2nd and Loader show up only to help and keep up their relationship with the AC)

**2nd - the assistant to the AC

***Loader - in charge of film stock, from loading it into the magazines to sending it to be processed. Lowest on the totem pole.

Behind the Scenes with Sharpstone

Here is a video I took with our Canon 5D while shooting Bill Palmer's short Sharpstone, later to be a part of a feature film he's written. Jeremy Hayward is the DP and Matt Iseman, of Clean House, is Sharpstone.

Sharpstone

Been helping some friends with a short movie/trailer... here are some pictures from the shoot I've taken thus far. Picasa Web Album (for easier viewing)